


Heal My Wounds

by Logan_Benincore



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Frank just needs a hug tbh, Violence, probably smut at times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-06 19:37:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14064075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Logan_Benincore/pseuds/Logan_Benincore
Summary: Jennifer Clarke was close friends with Frank Castle, the infamous Punisher. However, she always took care of his wounds, until Frank faked his own death, and in order to keep Jennifer Clarke safe, he remained hidden, simply looking at her from afar, taking care of her. One day, fate brings them back, along with bad luck to her and Frank. Jennifer finds herself deep in shit, precisely what Frank wanted to avoid, but she sticks with him and Micro regardless of how ugly things turn. Luckily for Frank, Jenny seems to be healing not only his physical wounds, and finds what he had lost not so long ago. He finds himself at home when he's close to her.





	1. A Story About Frank Castle and Jennifer Clarke

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter, I may take some time writing this since I don't have much free time because college student, but I will eventually post. I have pretty much all of the story planned, the actual thing is finding time to sit down and write it. I hope you like it c: this takes place at the end of Daredevil season 2 and the beginning of The Punisher.

Karen had been closely following every clue she had about Frank Castle. Her investigation was going pretty good, but it wasn’t enough just yet. She needed more. She needed more evidence to prove Frank wasn’t the bad guy, the psycho killer everyone thought. She was convinced Frank was indeed good. He wasn’t a threat. At least not to the innocent.

 

In her ongoing research, she noticed Frank had a frequent visitor after he was caught and put in jail. A girl, probably in her late 20’s, early 30’s. This girl would visit Frank at least one a week. As far as she could tell, this girl was called Jennifer Clarke. She was a vet at a clinic not far from where Frank used to hide.

 

One night, Karen waited outside the clinic, hoping to see Jenny leave sometime. However, Karen didn’t know that night Jennifer stayed overnight at the clinic, watching over a hospitalized cat. It wasn’t until midnight that Karen realized Jenny wasn’t going to leave that night, and she knocked the glass door to the clinic.

 

From the glass door you could see the waiting room, as well as a small office and a door to the other side of the clinic. She saw Jenny come out from the door at the back of the room with a sleepy face, and tying her hair in a bun. She opened the door, letting Karen in.

 

“Can I help you, miss?” Jennifer asked.

 

“Are you Jennifer Clarke? I’m Karen Page”

 

“Call me Jenny” She yawned. “We’re closed at the moment, but we open at 7:30 am, so you come by later, unless you have some sort of emergency”

 

“I was actually hoping if you could answer a couple of questions”

 

“What? Regarding what exactly?” Jenny gestured Karen, showing her the chairs, and Karen sat on the first chair next to the

 

“Regarding Frank Castle” As Karen Spoke, she paid close attention to Jenny’s face. She didn’t seem to react right away. She had quite the poker face.

 

“What about him?” She said crossing her arms over her chest.

 

“Why do you visit him every week?” Karen asked.

 

“Do I need a reason?” Jenny snapped.

 

“Please. I’m trying to help him” Jenny glanced at Karen, not sure whether to trust her or not, in the end Jennifer sighed before answering.

 

“He’s my friend, okay?”

 

“Can you tell me more about that?”  Karen’s voice remained soft, mostly to get Jenny to trust her, since Jennifer Clark was an important piece for Karen to prove Frank wasn’t as bad as everyone thought he was.

 

“What kind of evidence are you looking for?” Jennifer added.

 

“I want to prove Frank Castle is a good man”

 

“He has a dog, named Luna. One night he came in with the pit bull terrier in a pretty bad shape, so we took it right away to the ER. I came back here to ask some questions about the dog. Frank said he didn’t know anything, he found it on the road, pretty wounded and we were the first clinic open he found.

 

“Then he asked if the dog was going to make it. With emergency patients is hard to know, and I explained him that. He told me he wanted to keep it, and asked me about all the care a pit bull terrier needs since they’re bigger and very energetic dogs. We talked about what he needed and habits he needed to pick up if he was going to have a big dog at his house, like making sure the dog receives plenty exercise and training. I recommended him a few dog food brands.

 

“When the dog was ready to leave the clinic, Frank came for it, I explained him how to clean the dog’s wounds, as well as how to give it medication. The next weeks he came over for a weekly check up and we remained in touch. I’d occasionally join him and his dog in the park, and play with the dog for a little while.

 

“One day he called me, and asked me to meet him at his place. He texted me his address, and I met him there as soon as I could. He was wounded, terribly wounded. He knew I had a first aid kit in my car, so I stitched him up and gave him antibiotics to keep his wounds from infecting. At first he didn’t want to tell me why was he all wounded, and as I was stitching some nasty cut in his forehead, he told me he was The Punisher. He said he’d understand if I never talked to him again" Jenny sighed.

"But you didn't? I mean, even after he confessed, you were still talking to him, right?" Karen asked.

 

“When I was younger, my brother was killed by some crazy dude from a gang. A few months before meeting Frank, I heard on the news someone had killed that same guy. Someone called The Punisher who seemed to be after criminals only. I somehow felt like I owed The Punisher…I was very close to my brother, so losing him felt awful, I had lost my mother just a couple of months before, and her death plus my brother's felt like absolute shit...”

 

“You told Frank about it?”

 

“I did. I also told him I owed him for killing that monster who took my brother away from me. I guess after that particular day, we became closer friends. I began opening to him, something I don’t usually do. I can count the people who really know me with one hand, and Frank is one of them…Frank really is a good man. He may be violent with the way he kills all those criminals, but he would never hurt someone who’s innocent. He picked up a dog from the middle of the road because it was wounded. Who does that? It's something only decent people who really give a shit would do…”

 

Karen remained silent, as she looked at Jenny, who now had some sort of pissed look in her eyes.

 

Jenny on the other hand hated that his friend was in jail. He didn’t deserve it. Many dangerous people were taken off the streets, and it was all Frank’s doing. Frank was dangerous to criminals, but not to everyone else. Even though Jenny didn’t know everything about Frank, she was completely sure that he’d never hurt someone who doesn’t deserve it. But how could you deserve being killed by The Punisher? By killing someone beforehand.

 

Jenny also knew some fucked up shit should’ve happened to Frank for him to become this way. Some sort of Robin Hood on steroids who instead of stealing from the rich, kills those who’ve killed before. Frank worked in a karmic way. Which made Jenny feel safe around Frank and made her think that maybe the reason why New York was becoming a quieter city was because of him. She hated feeling scared of going out at night, but with someone like The Punisher taking down those with cruel intentions made her feel calm.

 

“Anything else you’d like to tell me about Frank Castle?” Karen said breaking the silence.

 

Jenny met Karen’s stare and shook her head silently. Jenny then looked at the watch on her wrist and sighed.

 

“I’m sorry but I’ll have to ask you to leave. I have a cat hospitalized and need to give him his medication soon”

 

“Yeah, right” Karen said standing up “I’m sorry for interrupting. Nice talking to you” She added. “We’ll manage to get Frank out of prison” They exchanged looks, and Jenny noticed the confidence in Karen’s blue eyes. And she hoped with every fiber of herself that Karen was telling the truth.

 

“Goodnight” Jenny said, walking her to the door.

 

“Thank you, Jenny. Goodnight” Karen said walking out of the clinic, thinking about what Jenny had told her, and wondered about how strong Frank’s and Jenny’s bond was. From what Jenny told her, she thought of their bond as sort of a  sibling bond. Karen thought if Frank felt the same way towards Jenny, simple curiosity. She couldn’t bring herself to talk about Jenny with Frank at first. And when she did, something in Frank’s eyes seemed to sparkle. He never admitted it, but he somehow told Karen that he really cared for her, and tried his best to keep his distance to keep her safe.

 

Although, Frank never told Jenny what he felt for her. And never tried to do so, or to give her any sign of how he felt. He was being cautious. He couldn’t bare to think that he might be putting her in danger just by hanging around her, but the pain of being away from her was even stronger, so he kept his distance, keeping things simple: she’d heal his wounds, he’d watch over her, and they’d share time together like close friends. Even when Frank desired to be closer to Jenny, he knew he couldn't, that wasn't going to end ell. Frank missed Jenny's company, and was constantly thinking of her and Luna during his time in jail.

 


	2. Good ol'friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are friendships waiting to happen. The right people with the right chemistry waiting for circumstances to bring them together. Such was Jenny's and Frank's case. They were close friends, although, since Frank's said death, he had to keep his distance from his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome back. I hope you enjoy this chapter ^-^  
> Warning: strong language

Good ol' friend  


 

There were days when Frank would leave early the construction, twice a week, and go for a walk at a park considerably far away from the construction, and somewhat close to where his home used to be. Not far from there was the K-9 Vet Clinic, a veterinary clinic, where Jennifer Clarke worked. One of the few people Frank was really fond of.

Countless times Jenny had healed his wounds as well taking care of his dog’s health. God knows where would Luna and Frank be without Jenny. Frank constantly found himself thinking about it, and how much he owed Jenny. He was grateful for everything she had done, he cared for her and saw her like family, and in very rare moments, he felt like life didn’t hurt as much with her around. Frank knew he had feelings for her, but he never admitted it, not even to himself. He didn’t admit it until he told Karen some of his story before the trail, before everything went to shit.

He was glad that he had faked his own death, but he hated the toll it had taken on Jenny, and specially the fact that he could no longer talk to her. He could simply watch her from afar as she walked Luna every Tuesday and Thursday, along with Jenny’s two Boston Terriers. He would watch her play and run with the dogs. Seeing her smile and laugh made Frank’s week less miserable. Sometimes he’d read on a bench, or under a tree, and occasionally he’d look up to see Jenny and the dogs. He’d smile to himself and turn to the next page of his book.

However, Frank always kept his distance. He wanted to, he needed to. But it didn’t stop fate from bringing him and Jenny together again.

As he was merged deeply in his book, he didn’t see how a navy blue tennis ball flew his way, and Luna following it. It landed dangerously close to Frank. Close enough for Luna to smell him and remember him. As soon as the Pit bull recognized Frank’s smell, she quickly bounced towards him, as Frank flinched, closed his book, and his first reaction was to chuckle and pet Luna.

“Atta girl” He said.

“I’m sorry!” His heart stopped for a second as he heard Jenny’s voice reaching him. “She’s very friendly, she’s not dangerous, I’m very very sorry” She said pulling Luna from her crimson collar, away from Frank.

Frank looked at her up close for the first time in months. It had felt like an eternity, and there she was, once again, close enough for him to hold her. But he didn’t. He looked at Jenny, as she slowly recognized him with beard and longer hair. Her face went from apologetic to flabbergasted.

“Frank?” She whispered.

Frank couldn’t bring himself to talk, he simply nodded and stood up.

Jenny looked at him up and down, as her eyes began to get teary. She was mind blown. She didn’t know what to believe. She missed Frank like hell, and seeing him in front of her was more than enough to make her feel like the world was spinning way too fast.

“Wha-What is this?” She asked. “Ho-How did….Why didn’t you…” Tears began falling from her eyes, as she raised her hand and without thinking it twice she slapped Frank on the face.

Frank knew she was going to do it, and he didn’t stop her.  He knew perfectly well she would react in an explosive way. He was amazed by the amount of strength a girl her size had. After all, she was short tempered, and sometimes even scary, but had a heart of gold.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” She said cleaning her tears with her sleeve. “You let me think you were dead! You have an idea of how it felt?” She said pushing him on the chest. “I mourned your death for days! I adopted Luna you weren’t there anymore! You have how painful it was to see her sleeping next to me the few days after your death? It was even worse when I walked her and she pulled the leash towards your old hideout! Frank I fucking missed you! I thought you were gone forever! I couldn’t believe you were actually dead and hoped for any sign of life, for you to contact me in any way and ask me to heal your wounds like you always did! But it never happened!” She kept pushing him as she yelled, and as tears kept falling down her cheeks. “You’re an idiot!”

Frank grabbed her wrist, stopping her from pushing him. She fought to free herself from her grip, Frank then hugged her. She, at once, pushed him away and stared at him in the eye. He could tell she was far more pissed than he thought she would be.

“Do not hug me!” She yelled. “As a matter of fact, don’t touch me! What is wrong with you?!”

“Look, Jen...I’m sorry” Frank said.

“Sorry is not enough!” She cut him off. “You were one step away from being being declared innocent by the jury. And at the last minute you break into a psychotic episode? Frank, I was terrified at you. I always thought you were innocent, some blonde reporter asked me stuff about you before the trial, and I told her I was convinced you were a good man. But right before you were taken to jail, you start screaming how you’d kill everyone again? For a minute I saw the animal everyone saw. And I was as scared of _it_ as everyone else in there. I didn’t recognize you, Frank. You terrified me” 

He remained silent, as he looked back into what had happened during the trail. He had talked to Karen the day before, and agreed to tell his story. Although, the bailiff had told him about Wilson Fisk’s request. His desire to get revenge was bigger than his desire for freedom. _Jenny’s right,_ he thought, he was an animal. 

“I mourned Frank Castle’s death. Not the Punisher’s. Frank Castle, the guy who showed up in my clinic in the middle of the night with a dying dog in his arms.The guy who later on adopted that dog and turned out to be quite the owner, better than most owners I’ve seen.”

“Jen, I…”

“Whose death was it really? Frank’s? Or the Punisher’s? Or the both of them are still alive?”

Frank took a while to answer. In that time, Jenny felt her head spin and her heart ache. Frank Castle with whom she had an instant connection, a friendship waiting to happen. And chemistry soon dragged them down in one of the strongest bonds Jenny had ever had. And one Frank could easily compare to the bond he had with his fellow marines. She was as close to him, as Curtis Hoyle or Billy Russo.

“Someone knows I’m alive. Someone other than you”

“Well, you’re doing a terrible job at hiding then” She snapped angrily.

“Someone who knows what happened in Afghanistan…”

Frank never told Jenny what happened. But he had told her that it was some nasty dark shit she didn’t want to know. Jenny believed him and never asked more questions about it.

“...and possibly about what happened to my family” He added.

Jenny met his dark eyes, and nodded slowly.

“I see” She sighed, kneeling and putting Luna’s leash. “Good luck with that” She said standing up. “I have to go” She said pausing for a moment. “I won’t tell anyone about you. And stay away from me...” Those words hurt Frank as much as they hurt Jenny. But she was still frightened of the Punisher, however, she wasn’t afraid of Frank. But up to this point, she couldn’t tell them apart. “...please.” She added, walking away from Frank and pulling Luna, as she insisted at first on pulling the leash towards Frank, but eventually Luna understood she shouldn’t be doing that and followed Jenny obediently.

That night, for the first time since his family died, he didn’t dream of them.

*

_He limped towards the door and opened it when he heard Jenny’s car outside the building. He had texted her the address. He went back to the small couch and collapsed. He was panting, weak, however, he didn’t feel as much pain._

_He waited for Jenny to arrive, and when she walked inside, she cursed at seeing Frank so beaten up._

_“What the hell happened to you?!” She yelled._

_“Please, close the door” He said softly, as Jenny nodded and pushed the door closed and rushed to the couch._

_“We have to call an ambulance…”_

_“No!” Frank cut her off. “No ambulance” He panted. “No police...Please Jen”_

_“Frank, what’s happening?” Jenny was no dumb girl, and Frank was well aware of that. He knew she was now aware of the fact that he was involved in something illegal. After all, “No ambulance, no police” was a red sign for illegal shit going down._

_“I need a favor” He said, “But, I guess you deserve the truth first…”_

_Frank looked into her eyes, and noticed how she was containing her fear behind a serious face._

_“I’ll understand if you decided to walk out the door after I tell you this. But promise me you’ll remain Luna’s vet. I wouldn’t trust any other veterinarian with my precious Luna…”_

_“Frank, should I be scared of what you’re saying?”_

_“Depends” His husky voice was low, barely audible. “I’d never hurt innocent people, so, unless you’re involved in the mafia, you should be fine…”_

_Jenny looked at him, paralyzed._

_“Have you ever heard of The Punisher?” He finally said._

_“It’s you” She said. It wasn’t a question, and Frank noticed in her voice. He closed his eyes and nodded._

_“I’m asking you as a friend…” He began “Normally I’ll take care of my wounds, but as you can see, I look like shit, and have some nasty wounds in my back and my head, and stitching those my own will be the biggest fucking challenge in my life”_

_Jenny chuckled, noticing how he was the same guy she met at the clinic. She had heard all sorts of stuff about The Punisher, but she didn’t think of him as a criminal, as media tried to portray him. After all, he had killed people who had committed that same crime before. Frank was right, unless you were involved in some nasty business, you were safe from the Punisher. Besides, she was standing in a living room with The Punisher, and he was all beaten up. He was at her mercy, he was vulnerable, and Frank chose to trust her in this vulnerable shape._

_She cleaned his wounds, stitched them up, and covered them with gauze. Frank then took a shower, while Jennifer waited for him. She waited in the living room, which only consisted of a single couch and a single coffee table._

_In the meantime, she remembered her brother. Her only brother. He was taken away from her by some gangster. That same gangster was killed not so long ago by The Punisher’s hand. Frank had taken that guy down. Knowing this wouldn’t bring Jenny’s brother back, but, in a way she was happy Frank had done it. God knows how many more lives this gangster took, and how many families he had hurt._

_Frank walked out of the bathroom, wearing only his jeans. He sat back in the couch, as Jenny cleaned his wounds again. Now that he was clean, actually clean, she could properly clean his wounds and cover them with bandages._

_“You okay?” He broke the silence, noticing how her eyes seemed distracted, as if she was cleaning his wounds automatically._

_“What?” She flinched._

_“You’re spacing out. Everything alright?”_

_“Yeah…” She whispered._

_This was the moment Jenny opened up to Frank. From this point on, their trust for each other would grow. Jenny told him about her brother, and how he was murdered 10 years ago. Once Jenny finished cleaning Frank’s wounds, she handed her a small bottle with pills in them._

_“Take one every 12 hours for the next three days” She said handing him the bottle. Frank looked at her, and before he even asked, she answered. “It’s antibiotic, to keep your wounds from infecting and causing you a rough time..”_

_“Thank you” He whispered._

_Jenny sat next to him, as she kept telling him about her brother. She cried for the first time after her brother’s death. This was the first time someone had seen her cry in ten years. Frank offered coffee, which she accepted, and the both of them sat, as Frank comforted her, with his arm around her shoulders, and her head resting on his shoulder. Tonight was the night when Frank would speak about his family for the first time since their death. They both exchanged painful stories, and became vulnerable to one another. They both comforted each other, and both felt their bond grow stronger._

_Even when they spent a few hours a week together walking their dogs, they had trivial talk, they never considered each other friends. Until now. Now that they knew a softer side of each other, and now that they comforted each other with the other’s bearing. Starting from that night, they considered each other friends._

_That night, Jenny had fallen asleep on Frank’s couch, as he stood guard, sitting on the floor next to the couch. He looked at her while she was sleeping, for a few seconds, feeling grateful for treating him, and for listening to his story. He wasn’t aware of the pain he was bearing by keeping what happened to himself. Now that he had told Jenny about it, he felt less sore than before. Maybe that’s what he needed. A friend. Someone to talk to._

_He looked at her, and watching her sleep so calmly reminded him of his family._

_*_

Frank flinched, waking himself up. He had dreamed of Jenny, and now he was feeling guilty for making her go through a hard time. After his dream, he realized he missed her more than what he thought he did. He _needed_ her company, someone he could trust, he needed his _friend_. 

That afternoon, Frank went looking for Karen, hoping that she’d help her find the strange caller who went by the name of Micro. He’d occasionally keep an eye on Karen, and eventually he memorized her way back home. He grabbed an old quilt and waited along the homeless until Karen walked past him.

When he saw her approach his spot, he lowered his head. When she walked past her, he spoke, catching her attention.

“Say lady. I’m real hungry. You got any change? Please?” He said, keeping his head low.

Karen stopped and looked in her purse for a bill. When she got closer and handed him the bill, Frank looked up, hoping for Karen to meet his eye. She didn’t. As soon as she turned around ready to leave, he spoke again.

“Thanks, Karen” Karen stopped at once, and slowly turned around, at first confused at why the homeless man knew her name. When she turned back, she sighed when she recognized Frank Castle under the beard and long hair.

“You still all heart, huh?” Frank added.


	3. Vet appointment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to stay mad at those who mean a lot to us, and Jenny is well aware of that. On the other hand, Frank is being watched by this mysterious Micro and is watching his every step and is doing what he can to trace that jerk. However, that doesn't stop Frank from talking to Jen, and apologize to her.

Vet appointment.

 

“You still all heart, huh?” Frank added exchanging looks with Karen, as she chuckled and met his stare.

“Things got this bad, Frank?” She asked.

“Wanted to say hello” He said avoiding her question and lowering his stare. “I thought I’d try my luck out here and not get my head blown off” Karen scoffed at him. “You still got that hand cannon?” He added.

“You better believe it” Said Karen patting her purse.

“Attagirl"

“What the hell are you doing here?” Frank met Karen’s blue eyes, and remained silent for a few seconds.

“Can we talk?” He asked.

*

After leaving Karen’s place, Frank found himself wandering around New York. Keeping his head low, with sunglasses and a baseball cap. He kept thinking about his time with Jenny. He felt his heart skip a painful beat, followed by remorse, and wanted to properly apologize to her. However, she had asked him to stay away from her. And right now, he needed a friend more than ever. He needed someone who’d listen to him and make him feel like he’s not an outsider. And Jenny was one of the few people who could do that.

He wanted to tell her what really happened, and from there, let her decide whether if he’s welcome back in her life, or if he had to stay away for good.

*

Jennifer Clarke was in the middle of an appointment when Amy, her boss, knocked on the door of the consultation room.

“Come in” Jenny said gently, as she was stitching a nasty wound on a dog’s back.

Amy, a tall, friendly-looking woman walked in. Jenny was one of her best employees Amy had ever had. And she felt proud of Jenny. She walked up to her.

“How is it going?” Amy asked Jenny, approaching the table where Jenny was stitching a dog with several wounds.

“Pretty well. I’ll just finish this, I’ll give the dog  a shot now and send the owners some antibiotics for home.

The owner was holding his schnauzer, as Jenny was doing her job.

“You have any other appointment after this one?”

“Not scheduled. Why?” She said finishing the last stitch.

“There’s a guy, Pete Castiglione, waiting with his dog. He says he was recommended to you and would like if you could attend his dog. It looks like a shiba mix”

As Amy spoke, Jenny loaded a syringe with antibiotics and asked the owner to hold the dog tightly as she shot the antibiotic on one of the dog’s back legs.

“Tell him I’ll see him in 10 minutes. I’m almost done” She said to Amy, as her boss nodded and left the consultation room.

Jenny left the consultation room and went to the small kitchen at the back of the clinic to write down the prescription with antibiotics for the dog, as well as pain killers. Once she was done, she returned to the consultation room and explained the prescription to the owner. Once she was done, she followed the owner and the dog to the waiting room where she saw Frank.

She stopped dead cold, as they both exchanged looks. He had shiba mix Amy was talking about. She sighed.

“You’re Pete?” She asked Frank, as he nodded.

“Yes ma’am” The both of them were pretty aware of the bluff, and Frank was grateful that Jenny didn’t blow it off and played along his game.

“Give me a minute” Jenny rolled her eyes and went back to the kitchen where Amy was looking at her phone.

“At what time does Newt arrive?” She asked looking at her phone.

“In about ten minutes, why?” Amy answered.

“I was hoping he’d cover me…”

“With Pete? He asked to see you, you know that?” Amy said looking at Jenny. “Is something wrong?”

“I-I I just...I have a headache…” She lied, hoping that she could free herself from having to go in a consultation with Frank.

“After Newt arrives you can take a break, in the meantime, give that guy’s dog a consultation. I don’t think it’ll take more than 20 minutes. You can take an Advil, I’ve got some in my purse if you like”

“Thanks, but no thanks. It’s not that bad the headache, it’s just...annoying”

Jenny cursed under her breath and left the kitchen. She then walked to the waiting room and inside the small office and got a medical history form and a new folder. She then walked out to the waiting room and gestured Frank to walk inside the first consultation room.

Frank nodded, carrying the dog in his arms and walking inside the consultation room. Frank had done this before, and knew he had to weigh the dog, on the scale next to the door.

“Pete huh?” Jenny asked Frank.

“It’s a name I go by since I can’t use my real name anymore…” He said looking at the number in the electronic scale, 14 lbs, and carrying the dog, and taking it to the metalic table in the center of the consultation room. “It’s Pete Castiglione” He said, as Jenny wrote down Frank’s pseudonym in the medical history form.

The dog had a limp on the left front paw. The dog would sit and stand perfectly, except for its wounded paw, the dog would keep it close to its body, and as soon as Jenny tried to reach the hurt paw, the dog tried to bit her. Not surprised by this, Jenny looked at Frank.

“Frank, please tell me you didn’t hurt this dog so you had an excuse to tal…”

“Hey” Frank cut her off getting defensive. “You and I know pretty damn well I wouldn’t hurt a dog. Not even if I’m attacked by one”

Jenny and Frank exchanged looks for a while, without saying anything. Jenny then sighed deeply and proceeded to give the dog a general check up. The room remained silent for entire minutes as Jenny checked up every other aspect of the dog. Looked for other wounds, listened to the heart, the lungs, looked closely at the ears, the eyes, the mouth.

Jenny broke the silence when she began asking Frank some routine question to fill in the medical history.

“I found this dog several blocks away from here. I was wandering around, trying to distract myself when I found him. I thought about bringing him here, make sure he’s fine, probably keep him, since I miss having a pal with me in my apartment. And might as well try and talk to you”

“So you don’t know anything about this dog?” Jenny asked.

“Other than it’s a male, no”

"If you want to keep it, Frank, just keep in mind, this dog might be hard to train. Shiba's are known for being cat-like and very independent..."

"I like challenges" Frank said. "Look, Jen..."

“I don’t want to talk to you Frank” Jenny added. “Most likely the dog has a fracture, and it must hurt a lot since I’m not even able to touch the paw. Probably an x-ray will tell me the condition of the paw. I guess I’ll prescribe you some prednisone and pain killers…”

“Where can I get the x-ray?”

“Give me ten minutes” Jenny said, carrying the dog. “You can wait either here or in the waiting room. I’ll tell you when I have the x-ray, so I can tell you the diagnosis”

“Thank you Jenny” He said politely and walked towards the door, opening it for her and walking behind her. She then went to the back of the clinic, and Frank took one of the seats by the door and waited.

Before he even realized, Jenny called him, holding the dog in her arm, and Frank followed her behind the glass door dividing the waiting room from the back of the clinic. He followed her into a dark room with a pretty wide negatoscope, and several x-ray hanging from there. The middle section was shining brightly and it had two x-ray from a paw, which Frank assumed it was the dog’s. One seen from the top, and the other one from a side.

Jenny showed Frank how the dog had indeed several fractures in its paw, and that the dog was going to be fine. They returned to the consultation room where Jenny anesthetized the dog so she could bandage the dog’s paw without being bitten. While they were waiting for the dog to fall asleep, Frank broke the silence.

“I know you asked me to stay away…” He cleared his throat.

“I said, I do not want to talk to you Frank” She cut him off, but Frank completely ignored her and kept talking.

“I want to tell you the truth…” Jenny looked up at his black eyes, questioningly  “...about what happened that time in the trial. And what happened next…” Jenny’s dark green eyes had a severe look in them, _a regular person would’ve been pretty intimidated with that stare_ , Frank thought. . “Why I behaved the way I did, and why I faked my death…”

The dog was finally asleep, and Jenny gathered the materials she needed from one of the drawers from the metallic table.

“I also want to apologize...for everything” Frank continued, as Jenny wrapped the dog’s paw with gauze, firmly, trying to keep the paw from moving, specially the fractured bones, and then proceeded to bandage the paw. “If after that, if you don’t want to talk to me, it’s okay. You’ll no longer hear from Frank Castle, or the Punisher. It will only be Pete’s Castiglioni’s and Chuck’s vet appointments”

“You named him Chuck?” Jenny chuckled referring to the dog, as Frank nodded. “Alright Castle. Shoot” She said finishing the bandage and putting a cone around the dog’s neck and keep it there with an improvised gauze collar since the dog didn’t have a collar of its own.

Frank then told her everything. About what the bailiff had told him before he stated his testimony, how he ruined it on purpose, about Wilson Fisk and his deal, about the Blacksmith, who was involved in the shooting that killed his family. Jenny listened to him attentively, without making a single question as he told his story.

“...I had to remain hidden after faking my own death. I wanted it all to end, and so I thought ‘Hey, if the Punisher dies then I won’t have people looking out for me all the time’ and so I took the name of Pete Castiglioni. I couldn’t tell you because the less people knew I was alive, the safer everyone I care for would be. Only two people knew back then, now it’s you and this Micro guy who’s chasing me”

Jenny remained silent, looking at Frank with a concerned stare. She still had her strong, uninterested posture, but Frank could tell from her eyes that she was concerned.

“Jen, it was some terrible shit...and I needed a friend to help me keep me sane y’know? So far reading has kept to sane for the most part, but it’s not the same. I needed you, I still do. But I couldn’t talk to you. And it was killing me. You gotta believe me okay, baby girl?”

Jen’s eyes began to get teary when he called her baby girl. He’d only called her that once, before the trail began. The flashback hit her like a slap across her face.

_“Gotta pretend you and I ain't friends, Jen. I need you to be safe. Stay safe, baby girl, for me. If something happens to you because you’re friends with me then I-I…” Frank stopped, clenching his jaw. “If someone asks you anything, the only interaction we had were vet appointments, all right?” Jen nodded. “Please stay safe, baby girl”_

She missed Frank. She missed her friend it hurt to remember anything that happened before the trail. She was still angry and thought Frank acted selfishly, but at the same time, she kinda understood why. After hearing his story, she missed him, she was still angry at him, but the nostalgia was more than her anger.

Jennifer was looking down at the dog, checking his pulse, which was rising, telling Jenny the anesthesia was wearing off.

“Why did you let me believe you were dead?” She whispered gently, as Frank looked at her, feeling a lump in his throat.

Frank walked towards her and hugged her, as she quickly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, keeping herself from crying.

“Cause I'm an asshole, Jen” He said, as Jenny buried her face in his chest. “No matter what I say, I’ll sound selfish either way. I disappeared to keep myself safe, and doing that, I’d be keeping everyone I care for safe. You included”

“You’re a jerk, you know that?” Jenny murmured without looking at him. “It suits you though” She added looking back at him “The hipster look” She said changing the subject.

Frank knew what she meant by that. He chuckled. That was an _“I missed you”_ in her language. Two people who weren’t used to open up to anyone, they understood what they meant without saying it directly. That was one of the reasons why Jenny and Frank were good friends. They got each other without them needing to be straightforward.

“I missed you too” Frank said, walking closer to her and kissing the top of her head. Jenny checked the dog’s heart once again, this time it was beating faster than before.

“Chuck will be waking up in a few more minutes” She said carrying him and giving him to Frank. “I’ll write your prescription and I’ll see you in the waiting room in a bit”

“Sure” Frank said, as they both walked out of the room."Thank you Jenny"

*

After the vet appointment, Frank had told Jenny he’d be back in a week for a check up, and Jenny scheduled him. He bought some dog food as well as two plates and a black collar. He then went home, filled Chuck’s plates with food and water and left him there. He was going to meet Karen by the port.

He saw her sitting on a bench, and casually walked towards Karen, sitting next to her.

“I wanna know what you’re gonna do…” She stopped for a second. “if you find Micro”

“You find him?” They exchanged stares, as Karen remained silent for a few seconds.

“I found something” She added. “Makes sense with what you told me”

“Who is it?” Frank asked.

“Look, I gotta be real clear here. I want to  help you, but not if it’s gonna get someone killed”

“Hey, look, I didn’t go looking for this guy, all right?” He said defensively. “He came to me” He looked at Karen as she glanced at him. “For all I know, this guy has something to do with what happened to my family. So what do you want?” Karen looked away from Frank’s black eyes and into the sea. “If this guy isn’t dirty, if he’s not dangerous, he’s got nothing to worry about from me, okay?” Karen sighed at Frank. “Please, just help me Karen. Help me”

Karen sighed looking the other way, avoiding his stare.

“You know what? Or don’t all right?” Frank added immediately before Karen could answer “Leave my ass in the wind” He said stand up from the bench and taking a few steps forward “if that’s what you’re gonna do. Just do it, all right? For Christ sake”

Karen looked at him, sighed and grabbed something from her purse. A piece of paper. And handed it to Frank. He took the piece of paper and sat back next to her, unfolding the paper.

“What’s this?” He asked.

“It’s an unconfirmed story” She exhaled. “About an intelligence operative that got caught leaking covert information”

As she spoke, Frank read, and tried to actually listen to Karen.

“Called himself Micro” She added.

“Micro?” Frank repeated, as Karen nodded softly. “You got a name?”

“David Lieberman” She answered. “Now here’s the kicker. Officially Lieberman was shot and killed trying  to escape arrest by Homeland Security”

“I know, he said that. He said that he was a ghost...He said that”

“Yeah…” Karen whispered.

“How come I couldn’t find this?” Frank asked her.

“Well, the story never ran” She said.

“Why?”

“Because that guy, Carson Wolf, got it shut down. You know what? It’s all in the story, Frank. Just read it” She said looking away from Frank.

“Hey, can I be honest with you? This guy, he’s….” He stopped for a second. “He’s scaring the shit out of me”

“What’s he got on you anyway?” She snapped.

“Nothing”

“Right” She nodded.

“Thanks for this”

“Yeah” She whispered, as Frank was leaving “Hey, Frank” He turned around, and Karen opened her mouth as to say something, but in the end she simply said “Be careful” Frank nodded and turned around, walking with long steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! ^-^ I'll try to keep updating a chapter a week, and I hope I can stick with it. I already have the chapters for the next three weeks ready.


	4. The Smell of Vanilla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank is determined to catch Micro, and goes back to his previous look in order to escape from Micro's watch. The night before he went out hunting Micro, he went to Jenny's place to have dinner. For the first time in a long time, Frank felt like home. And many other feelings took over him that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly fluff, with a tiny pinch of smut, nothing too graphic, just to add some tension in there ;) 
> 
> hope you like it c:

The Smell of Vanilla

 

Two days after Frank went to the clinic, he called the reception where Newt, one of the vets working there, and one of Jen’s best friends from vet school, answered.

 

“K-9 Vet clinic, what can I help you with?” Newt answered the phone, as a woman with a German shepherd walked inside the waiting room.

“May I talk to Doctor Clarke?” A low husky voice spoke from the other side. 

“Sure. Who’s this?” 

“Pete Castiglione, my dog’s name is Chuck. We went for an appointment two days ago” Frank said.

“All right. I’ll go look for Dr. Clarke and put her on the phone”

“Thanks”

Newt left the small office in the reception and went to the kitchen hoping to find Jenny. Luckily, she was sitting on one of the chairs around a wooden table looking at her phone.

 

“Jen. Some Pete is calling asking for you, and Mrs Summer’s here with Honey for their appointment” Newt said referring to the lady and the dog who walked in right after he answered the phone.

“Thanks” She answered standing up and walking towards the small kitchen door. “You free?”

“You mean right now?” Newt asked, as they both walked down the hall towards the waiting room and reception. “Don’t think so. I had just hung up with Mr. McKenna, he told me his on his way with Sandy for their appointment”

“I like Sandy” Jenny said walking through the glass door dividing the rest of the clinic from the reception. “She’s so fluffy” Jenny made eye contact with the elder woman with her dog, and smiled politely. “I’ll be with you in a minute. I have a phone call to attend”  

“Thank you” The lady said nicely. “Don’t feel rushed, darling” They both exchanged friendly smiles as she walked inside the small office and picked up the phone.

“Hello, what can I do for you today?” She asked, as Newt followed her inside the office, and went looking through the patient files, among the many drawers filled with folders.

“Hey, Jenny girl” Frank said. “How is it going?”

“Pretty well, thanks. Look, Pete, I have an appointment right now, so how about we chit chat after I leave work?”

“Yeah sorry. Don’t mean to keep you on the phone for long. Hey, Chuck’s been scratching himself a lot, and I noticed his skin is all red and irritated. He doesn’t seem to have fleas…”

“He doesn’t. Two days ago I didn’t see any”

“Then what could be? An allergy?”

“No...I don't think its an allergy” Jenny said thinking. “It’s weird...one of the medications I sent chuck is used for allergies. I sent that because it’s an anti inflammatory too...Probably he just has dry skin, or very sensitive skin…” She stopped for a few seconds, thinking.

Newt left Honey’s file over the desk in front of Jenny as she thanked him in a low voice.

“I can call the number you gave me a couple of days ago, right?” Jenny asked.

“Yeah”

“How about, I’ll call you when I get some free time? Worst case scenario, when I leave work at like 7…” She grabbed her phone, checking the time. “In two hours?”

“Issa plan” He answered. “Thank you, girl”

“Anytime”

“Won’t distract you any longer...go to that appointment o’yours”

“Thank you. Take care”

“Always. You too, _baby girl_. Bye” There was something in the way he said baby girl that she loved so much. In a way, she liked thinking that a sadistic serial killer like the Punisher was soft enough to her, enough to call her baby girl

“Goodbye, Frank” She said hanging up.

Right after she hung up, she realized she’d called him Frank. And immediately looked for Newt, who luckily was at the main door, welcoming Mr McKenna and his cocker spaniel Sandy. Mr McKenna waved at Jenny before walking inside the first consultation room with Newt. Jenny grabbed Honey’s file and went to the waiting room.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, ma’am” Jenny apologized.

“Oh, it’s nothing” The lady said standing up from her seat. “Consultation Room 2, I suppose?” She said, as Jenny nodded.

“Consultation Room 2” Jenny affirmed as they both walked inside, Honey leading the way.

*

 

That day, Frank spent it digging everything he could about the Lieberman’s. And thought maybe, if Micro was watching him, he could be watching over his family too. Frank thought it was a very predictable move, so he’d go to the Lieberman’s and poke Micro’s nerve, maybe hope he’d do something stupid.

It was before he headed out to the Liberman’s place, when he noticed Chuck was scratching a lot, and noticed the rash. After calling Jenny, he left.

He waited for Micro’s wife to arrive, and hope for her to hit him with her van. Frank’s plan could easily fail, but it didn’t. He managed to be hit with the van, and managed to get inside the Lieberman’s house. Once in there, he walked through the house, talking to Micro’s wife, Sarah.

He got a call from Micro, and decided to take the battery off his phone. As he did this, he remembered Jenny was going to call him. He grunted and cursed under his breath followed with a _“I’m sorry baby girl”_ before he left the bathroom.

 

*

 

When he returned home, first thing he did was call Jenny. She answered before the second ring, alarmed.

“There you are!” She sounded slightly angry. “What the fuck? You told me I could reach you with this number, I called 6 times, at the beginning I thought you were bluffing me, then I thought maybe something happened to you…”

“Sorry ‘bout that. Had some pending business to attend”

“And you needed to turn off your phone?”

“Yeah, that Micro guy knew I was in his family’s house and…”

“You broke into a house?!” Jenny interrupted him.

“Girl, I’ll need you to hold your freaking horses and let me finish” He said, raising his voice, as Jenny remained silent. “No, I didn’t break in. I was actually invented in. It was nice and easy, talked to the wife for a bit, ya know...I’ll tell you the details later, cause I ain’t calling to catch up. You at your place?”

“Yeah” Jenny sighed.

“Mind if I come over? Bring lil Chuck with me?”

“Sure. Wanna have dinner at my place tonight? I’m about to cook”

“I’d love to. Do some real catch up, I miss actually talking to my Jenny girl” Frank heard Jenny chuckle in the other side. “Hey, before you start cookin’ wait for me please. Believe it or not, I’m not that bad of a cook myself, and from time to time I enjoy it”

“You’re telling me you want to cook?” Jenny giggled.

“Whatcha say ‘bout holding your horses, girl? I was thinking of actually cooking together” Frank chuckled.

“Sounds like a plan, Castle”

After they hung up, Frank was planning on chasing Micro tomorrow, but in order to do that, he’d have to not be chased by Micro’s systems. So he cut out his hair, shaved his beard, and went back to his buzzcut.

  
He packed his things, and Chuck’s few possessions. As he did, he wondered where he’d spend the night. He’d have to remain hidden, and far away from the shithole he was living in. For a second he thought about asking Jenny if he could stay for a night in her place. He once went to her place, it was a pretty small apartment, but it was the perfect space for someone who basically only used the apartment to sleep and eat. She didn't have enough space for two small dogs and a pit bull terrier, which was the reason why she went for a run every morning with Luna, and in the afternoon, she'll walk/play with all three dogs in the park.    
  
Frank finished packing, and faked a limp so he could leave his apartment complex without being caught. He walked all the way to Jenny's place, which was somewhere between three and four miles away.  
  
Jenny lived in a third floor, and when he arrived, he knocked. He heard all three dogs start barking, and Jenny yelling back at them.  
  
"I know, I heard the door too" she yelled "if you'd let me get to the door, everything would be easier. C'mon, move on, move on" Frank chuckled as Jenny talked to the dogs. "Sit, all of you" silence. "Good boys!" She said an a higher voice.  
  
Jenny opened the door, and was quickly surprised by Franks drastic change of look.  
  
"Whoa, look at you" Jenny said chuckling awkwardly. "I digged the hipster look"  
  
"You're telling me I don't look good like this too?" He said as he pretended to be offended.  
  
"Frank, you're gorgeous, whatever look you're trying to pull" Jenny laughed. "Come inside"  
  
As Frank walked inside, Chuck followed him. Jenny petted him, as she baby talked to little Chuck. All of the other dogs went ahead and began sniffing Chuck's back. Jenny noticed Frank was carrying some huge ass bag, and looked at him. They exchanged looks, and as if he could read her mind, he said.  
  
"I'd had to leave my place. Micro was watching over me. And I'll be the one chasing him this time"  
  
"Where are you staying tonight?" Frank stared at Jenny. "Wanna stay here?"  
  
"I thought you'd never ask" Frank joked, smiling warmly  
  
"You can stay in my bed if you want. Couch is too small for you..."  
  
"No, it's okay, I don't want to..."  
  
"Please Frank. If you don't sleep in my bed tonight, I'll be sleeping on the floor. Do you want me to sleep on the floor?"  
  
They exchanged playful defiant looks, until Frank agreed, wrapping one of his arms around Jenny's shoulders and pulling her in for a hug.  
  
"Stubborn little girl" he whispered kissing the top of her head.  
  
"C'mon, I'm starving"  
  
It felt like it had been forever since the last time Frank cooked. It made him feel nostalgic, and even, like he was home. Back home. Jenny's music was playing, as she sang along and helped Frank. Back in the day when he was the Punisher, his only company was Red, Karen and Jenny. Jenny being his closest friend. He never liked to admit it, but he constantly felt lonely, except when Jenny was around. Jenny's company became like a drug to him, and eventually he fell for her.  
  
The distance put between the two of them after Franks supposed death somehow made those feelings go away. Not entirely. But cooking with her, seeing her dance, sing and cook, the whole scene made Frank feel at home for the first time since the shooting. He felt how those feelings for Jenny, buried at the back of his head, were resurfacing again.  
  
After dinner, Jenny checked Chuck's skin, and it turned out he had dry skin, she said she was going to bring a shampoo from the clinic. Then they talked for hours. It wasn't until they both realized it was almost midnight. The only reason Jen decided to go to bed was because she woke up every morning at 6 am to go for a run with the pit bull terrier, so she changed into her pj's and lied on the couch. Jen fitted just fine in the couch, and Frank reluctantly went to Jenny's room.  
  
Her room had a very cozy touch to it. Pretty minimal, just like the rest of her apartment, with barely any furniture. A tiny closet with several jackets hanging, and a few drawers at the bottom. Her shoes messily thrown under the bed. Several shelves on the walls with small plants and tons of books, there were books everywhere, on the shelves, stacked up in piles on the ground. One of the walls was almost entirely made of Windows, which Jenny suggested he kept often because of the plants. And her bed, a bunch of covers piled on top of a mattress which fitted perfectly at the bottom of the room, which was more like a small hall.

He stayed there until he was sure Jenny had fallen asleep. From his bag, he changed into dark clothes, put on a balaclava and left through the window onto the fire escape. He went to Carson's Wolf huge ass house, where he had a showdown with him. Frank managed to get as much information he could before killing him. He was expecting to get information about Lieberman, but it turned out Homeland Security was knees deep in shit with what happened to his family, making his wrath even worse, and his suspicions bigger.  
  
He returned somewhere by 3 am, and got a shower to clean himself up, he didn't want to alarm Jenny nor make her angry, so he tried his best to hide his little crime. Frank lied under the many covers and everything around him smelled like Jenny. It smelled warm, similar to just baked vanilla cookies. He closed his eyes and let the sweet gentle smell surround him, as he slowly fell asleep. That night, he dreamed of his family, but soon his dream was interrupted by another dream.  
  
Jenny was there. They were both lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling. In his dream, neither of them talked. He turned to his side, facing Jenny, as she looked at him before she leaned over and kissed him. He kissed her back at once, and things escalated quickly from them. In a blink of an eye, Jen was lying on top of him naked. They were kissing passionately as his hands were going up and down her body. Exploring her skin, and feeling her moan and twitch under his touch. He felt the warmth rushing through his body and the desire to be inside of her, feel her warmth, feel her tighten around him. He hadn't had sex in so long, he could physically feel all the tension build up, and an animal instinct urging to come out and make Jenny his. He wanted to hear her moan his name, he wanted to feel her all around him, and leave his scent on her.  
  
He flinched and quickly stood up after he heard the door to the apartment open. Followed by several paws walking inside the apartment. Jenny had just arrived from her early run. She shushed the dogs without saying a word, followed by a whisper.  
  
"You'll wake him up" she walked towards her room.  
  
Frank quickly went back under the covers, mostly to hide his boner under all the layers.  
  
"Oh, you're awake" she sighed in relief, "I was afraid that the dogs were going to wake you up"  
  
"It's fine" he said, feeling his heart in his throat.  
  
"How did you sleep?" She muttered walking towards the bed and sitting on the edge.  
  
The urge to grab her and kiss her was strong, thought Frank. He nodded and looked at her dark green eyes.  
  
"More comfortable that my bed in that shithole" he whispered, making Jenny giggle.

They both exchanged looks silently for a while, and Jenny noticed a small bruise under Frank's cheekbone. She frowned.

"What is this?" She said placing her hand on Frank's cheek and gently rubbing the bruise with her thumb, as Frank felt the slightest of pains, and knew it was a bruise.

"It ain't nothing" He said calmly, as Jenny looked into his eyes, knowing he was lying. He didn't have that bruise yesterday, she thought, but she didn't want to start an argument right now.  
  
"I gotta shower and head to work. Feel free to stay here as long as you want. There's food in the fridge, the washing machine is in the bathroom next to the shower...this place is tiny so you won't get lost"  
  
"Thank you, baby girl. I'll be actually trying to catch Micro tonight. If anything turns up, I'll call you"    
  
"Take care Frank" Jenny whispered.  
  
Not being able to completely fight the rush, and he grabbed her hand in his, and squeezed it gently.  
  
"Don't worry about me, baby girl" he whispered, leaning forward and kissing her forehead, Jenny smiled and stood up, walking out of the room.


	5. Things aren’t as they seem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenny faces for the first time mixed feelings about Frank, as well as her first approach with Micro.

Last night, a dog stayed hospitalized, and it was Newt's turn to stay the night there. When Jenny arrived, she found him having breakfast in the kitchen. She greeted him, as he waved his spoon at her as he kept eating his cereal.

"How was your night"

"Pretty okay. I woke up three times during the night, one for medication and two to make sure the dog was still alive" he said. "How about yours?"

Jenny didn't answer right away. And newt immediately know something was up. He looked at her, as she looked through the window into the street. Thinking.

"Everything all right?" Newt asked.

"I-I...I don't know" she said. "Do you remember Pete? He came here three days ago, I don't know if you saw him"

"That guy who looked like a lumberjack?" Jenny chuckled at Newt's comment. "What about him?"

"I saw him yesterday, after work. His dog has sensitive skin and he wanted to know what to do about that..." Jenny began, "then we had dinner..."

"Well, I think I know the end of this story" newt joked smirking at her.

"Nothing happened" Jenny said. "I think..." Jenny scoffed awkwardly "I think I'm starting to like him"

"You met him three days ago" He snapped.

"I know...we just...three days ago, the appointment lasted way more than a regular appointment, but that was because we were talking" Jenny lied, the appointment did last longer than usual, but it wasn't because they talked. Frank did the talking, she heard what he had to say. "Like, we naturally have chemistry" True, Frank and Jenny did.

"What about him?" Newt asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Is he being particularly flirty with you or something like that?" Newt exchanged states with Jenny, as she remained quiet.

She thought about the hand holding and the forehead kiss earlier that day. Also about how he called her baby girl.

"Maybe" Jenny whispered.

The rest of the day went by, almost normally.

*  
Frank went to a diner for breakfast. He left Jenny's apartment shortly after Jenny left. He left behind Chucks stuff, as well as chuck and a post it note on the door saying he was going to pick Chuck tomorrow. He still didn't know how the whole Micro hunting would end, and didn't want to compromise Chuck's life.

In the diner, he sat on one of the tables, and ordered the first thing he read on the menu, scrambled eggs and bacon. He knew Micro would contact him eventually, so he waited patiently. A waitress reached him, asking him if he wanted more coffee, to which Frank agreed. The lady poured coffee into the into the small mug, as he ate his scrambled eggs.

"Thank you, ma'am" he told the lady, as she nodded and returned to the bar.

He took a sip of his coffee when his phone started ringing. He looked at it amused, put his cup down and grabbed the phone. He let it ring a couple of times before he flipped it open.

"So let me guess here, you're outside, sunbathing on a roof" he told Micro.

"Now that's funny, almost" Micro answered on the other end, as he typed on his computer, tracing the call. "Let me ask you something, Frank. How are the eggs in Pete's Diner and a Grill in Sunnyside? Any good?"

"Smart work, Spook"

"You know" Micro stuttered "I-I gave you this phone so I could contact you, you understand that, right?"

"I know why you gave it to me" Frank interrupted him "but I wasn't gonna leave it on" he muttered. "See, thing is, I got a shave, hurt my leg, got myself a limp. I guess it messed up your gait recognition, huh?" ,Ivor chuckled bitterly.

"Yeah, I was wondering how long it was going to take you to catch on to that" Micro lied.

"One thing I can't figure out is how you knew which cameras to check" Frank said, resting against the table.

"Oh, that was easy, Frank" Micro began "I waited for a bunch of bad guys to turn up dead and then I just checked nearby"

"Pretty smart, Lieberman..." Frank took another sip of his coffee.

"You know, I did you a favour right? I wiped those feeds clean after" Micro snapped.

"Boy, oh, boy" Frank scoffed. "I'm real grateful"

"So, here we are, couple of smart guys chewing the fat, huh?" Micro said grabbing a gun from under his desk, and checking if it was loaded. "I gotta ask you, why'd you go to my house?"

"You know something, David? Your wife, she's real cut up about your death"

"They have nothing to do with this" Micro added at once.

"Bullshit" Frank cut him off "you know what? You're an asshole. You're a man who put his family in danger, and you didn't do it once, you did it again"

"I'm gonna make that right. She's only safe if she thinks I'm dead..."

"You brought this shit on yourself" Frank continued, completely ignoring Micro "you wanted to play Deep Throat, right? Your buddy Carson Wolf, he to,d me everything"

"Did you kill him?" Micro interrupted him, as Frank remained silent for a few seconds.

"That's what you wanted, right?” Frink said finally.

“What did he say?”

“You still want to talk?”

“Yeah, I do. Here's what we're gonna do…”

“No, no, you stop talking. I'm sick of hearing you talk.” Frank cut him off “I'm calling the shots now. I'm going offline, in exactly one hour, call me with a cell phone number I can reach you on, you got that?”

Micro nodded hesitantly before the line went dead. He closed his phone and threw it across the room, pissed. He hated being at Frank's mercy. He was unpredictable. From that moment, Micro couldn't help but feel watched.

*

When Jenny returned, she was expecting to arrive home and not see Frank there. She saw his post it note and read his messy handwriting, saying he was going to be away for a day. She chuckled to herself and changed into her gym clothes. At this, all of the dogs began walking excitedly around the living room. They knew they were gonna go for a walk soon and they were looking forward to that. Jenny put Luna's leash on her collar, and an extra leash she had on Chuck's. The two Boston Terriers knew they had to remain close to her whenever she went out for a walk, so they didn't need a leash, not anymore.

*

The next day, Frank spent it almost entirely in Micro's place. Frank had him tied to a chair, naked, and tortured him by eating in front of the poor bastard, and drinking water. Micro kept cursing, trying to talk to him and convince him, while Frank simply ignored him. There was a moment when Frank left the hideout to call Jenny. Other than that, he never let Micro out of his sight.

It was until 7:30 pm that he had a call at the phone Micro had given him. There were only two people who'd call that same number, and since Micro was tied to a chair, Frank knew it was Jenny.

Franks phone ringed, and as he picked up, Micro looked at him. The fear in his eyes, as he wondered who was calling Frank to the phone he had left him on the roof after their first talk.

"I'll see you in a bit" Frank's voice echoed as he closed the phone.

"Who's here? Why would you bring someone here?! This is a secret hideout for a reason!" Micro yelled.

As Micro spoke, Frank ignored him and stood up from his chair and walked to the door. He left, leaving micro alone, and cursing loudly. Outside, Frank met with Jenny, who was holding a bag from a Greek restaurant, and was scanning the place.

"Why on earth did you bring me to this place?"

"Thank you for coming Jenny girl" he said helping her with the bag. "Can I ask you for another solid?" Jen shrugged looking around.

"I don't know, can you?"

"When we get inside, don't freak out"

"Frank, no. Why? Why would I have to keep myself from freaking out?"

"Ain't nothing bad. Or at least _that_ bad. I'm pretty sure you've seen worse. Just trust me okay?"

Jenny sighed deeply, staring at Frank. They exchanged looked for a bit, until Jen agreed and followed him inside the warehouse. Jenny was expecting some sort of bloody scene or something worse. She still freaked out when she saw a naked man tied in a chair. She cursed under her breath as Frank grabbed the first piece of cloth he could find and threw it over Micro's lap, covering his hips.

"Frank..."Jenny muttered.

Micro heard a girl's voice and confused he turned around at once and saw a girl standing there, staring at him, paralyzed. She was average height, relatively thin, but not like someone who really watched over her figure, and black hair tied in a bun. At seeing her clothes, Micro assumed she was a nurse, ignoring that anyone who worked in the medical field also wore scrubs.

"You brought your girlfriend?" Micro asked pissed.

"Hey, more respect you piece of shit. She brought food for the three of us. If you behave tonight I might even let you have dinner"

"Frank, what the fuck" Jenny asked. "How long has this guy being tied up?"

"Yeah, you tell him, Lady" micro said.

"Frank..."

"Hey, this guy has been stalking me, making me feel watched and spooked. It was time for him to feel the same" Frank cut her off.

"Ha!" Micro scoffed. "You heard that?" Micro said looking at Jenny.

"I did. Don't talk to me, you're naked, you're making me uncomfortable" Jenny answered.

"Aren't you a doctor?"

"Hey" Frank said at Micro "you don't talk. We do"

"Whatever you did to him" Jenny began "he's really pissed about it, so I'm going to assume Frank did the right thing by tying you up. You're lucky your head is still attached to your body. And for the record, no, I'm not a _physician_. I'm a veterinarian. Humans are more disgusting than animals, and animals tend to be more grateful so..." she shrugged. "I'm not going to sit here and watch you torture this poor man. Frank, give him his goddamn dinner, please?"

Frank and Jenny exchanged looks. Every time Micro looked into his eyes, he had a severe look on them. Defying, even dominant and terrifying. But the way he was looking at her was different. For once he looked calm, soft. Micro understood that whatever this girl asked of Frank, he'd give it to her right away. This girl had a very powerful weapon to her disposition, he thought. The world could be hers if she wanted.

Frank walked hesitantly towards Micro's chair, grabbing his knife and freeing his hands, keeping his feet tied to the chair. Micro noticed how Frank acted reluctantly, however, he didn't say anything back at her.

Frank dragged Micros chair to the table in the kitchen. Once there, Jenny handed Micro his food, he thanked her and began eating right away, feeling his hunger drive him like a wild animal devouring his food. He noticed how the girl and Frank were eating silently, occasionally looking at each other. He noticed how Frank wouldn't take his eyes off her.

"Lady, what's you're name?" Micro asked when he was halfway done with his food.

The girl and Castle exchanged looks, as if she was waiting for an approval from Frank. They spoke through their eyes, and Micro wasn't understanding what was going through their heads and their stares. In the end, she looked down at her food and kept eating.

"You don't get to know her name right away. Gotta earn her trust first"

"So, none of my questions will be answered" micro said, biting his food. "Not even how you met, or how long have you been together?" Jenny felt how she almost choked, and looked at Frank. Frank on the other hand was staring dead cold at Lieberman.

 _Do we look like a couple?_ , Jenny asked herself. She never really thought of Frank that way, however, she did feel they were pretty close, so it kinda made sense that Micro believed they were together. Specially after that day they spent in her place, just enjoying each other's company. She'd seen Frank in a way she had never seen him before. She smiled when she remembered last night with Frank, and hoped for it to repeat sometime soon.

"Frank, if he opens his mouth again, feel free to tie his hands back to the chair..." Jenny said, as Frank smiled and nodded.

"You're wish is my command, ma'am" micro had never seen Frank so pleased with something, and he wanted to quickly add that it was a joke, but the next sound it came from his mouth, he'd be tied again. So he finished his food in silence.

Frank tied micro back to the chair, and left him on the kitchen, while Jen and Frank went to what seemed like Micro's room, and stayed there, talking in whispers and mutters. After what felt like almost two hours for Micro, he heard the girl say:

"I should go, check out on _the kids_ , y'know" she joked loudly, hoping to fool Micro, as he turned around, looking at Frank and the girl.

"You two have kids?" Micro said, mostly convinced Frank and this girl were together, specially for the look Frank gave her. Jenny laughed.

"Hell no" she said, "I have three dogs. They're all my babies. Also little Chuck is staying in my place..."

"C'mon, I'll walk you to the entrance" Frank said standing up and following her through the door to the basement.

 _So, are they together?_ Micro asked, how can Frank be so fond if her? If Frank trusts her, she must have done something right. Does that meant Micro could trust her too? Frank wouldn't just trust anyone, so it made sense that Micro could trust her too.

"Your girlfriend is really pretty" micro said when he heard Frank close the door behind him.

"She's not my girlfriend" he added.

"She's not?" Micro asked surprised, "I would've swore she was. I noticed the way you were looking at her" Frank frowned immediately. "If I were you, I'd tell her how I feel"

"No, no, no" Frank cut him off "you ain't gonna tell me what to do as if we were high school friends or whatever, ya hear? Stay out of my shit"

"You better do it before some random guy decides to ask her out, and take her away from you"

Frank approached micro and slapped his hands on the table on from of Micro.

"I told you to stay away from my shit. No one’s gonna take her away from me" franks scary stare was back, and micro felt slightly afraid. "She may not be my girlfriend, but she is _my_ family. _She's mine, and I'm hers._ That's how it is, and some random guy won't be able to change that"

"You really like her, don't you?" Franks fists were tingly closed, his knuckles were white. He walked away from the chair, towards micros bed. "What did she do, to mean that much to you?" Frank didn't answer, he lied on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "She must have done something for you to be so fond of her"

Silence. Lieberman sighed and rested his forehead over the kitchen table and closed his eyes. After several I ties of silence, Frank finally spoke.

"She saved my life" he said.

Micro who was half asleep looked up.

"Huh?"

"She's been taking care of my health more than I have myself. If I'm still alive, it's because of her. I owe her my life"


End file.
